On the assumption that all who wish to reply to step one have had the time to do so, I'll move on to Step Two. This step starts off by asking us to review the King of Cups from the Arthurian Tarot example given on page 8. We are to indicate which details in the given description would prompt us to investigate further their meaning and possible roles in this card.

IMPRESSIONS:

Step 2:2
The size of the waterfall (width) and stream at the feet of the King, plus the open space behind the top of the water fall suggest a lake might be feeding the stream. It would seem that a village, town or number of people might be found up above around the lake -- and that this lower wooded area would therefore be a more private retreat area for the King to visit.

This leads me to realize that the King of Cups values his solitude as a means of refreshing himself and gaining time to appreciate what life brings him.

The nature of his fishing pole tells a story. It is a relatively short stick, not something that would be used on a lake. The pole has a wrapped handle which suggests it is often used and not just picked up for casual use. It is slender so it would be used for smaller fish, such as brook trout or perch. All of this tells me that the King likely comes here often and probably has little interest in actually catching and keeping fish for his own meals. Fishing is an excuse to get away from others. He probably has a busy court life and values quiet times.

The King has a pack or carry-bag of some kind at his feet. He obviously is prepared for fishing and must therefore come here often. This suggests some form of personal regimen, showing a significant amount of discipline and rigor behind his cups-like compassion. This in turn suggests a possible larger court situation that he has to contend with and hints at the large number of complexities that can exist.

Step 2:3
We are to evaluate a series of statements to determine objective observation or a subjective assumption -- using "O" or "S" to record our answer. The several statements ARE NOT RELATED TO THE KING OF CUPS CARD but may be related to any "familiar" themed card/deck>
a) O; This might be seen by some who don't pay attention to details of what is right or left.
b) S; this is not indicated by the card's illustration in any way.
c) S; the situation may or may not be dire, but "waiting" is an assumption.
d) O; this can be seen in the illustration.
e) S; he may be signalling others or using the light for his own purposes, but does not necessarily wish to guide others in terms of the picture.
f) O; this can be seen.
g) S; how is one's determination and mind-set firmly indicated?
h) S; yet to occur movement might be implied but it is not certain.
i) O; It depends upon the deck/card design of course.

NOTES:
As is mostly the case, the statements of Mary Greer, given on page 13, are both enlightening and sharply critical of how our mindset needs to be better oriented in terms of our tarot work.

I had appreciated the water as a backdrop story but had not thought of the gap in the rocks as an opening in a solid facade. She notes the pole as indicating something that might be kept as a distance -- I had seen it as a casual-but-not-critical-tool as the real purpose was not "catching" a fish but to enjoy this retreat space.

I had gotten the O and S steps correct. So, chastised a bit by not taking a broader view of each seen and implied component in the King of Cups, I'll try to move ahead with resolve on the next step. Dave

2:2. What items from the description in activity 2:1 are worth integrating as significant symbols? – this exercise was using the King of Cups from the Legend Arthurian deck, which I have and pulled the card out to see the details better.

 The water falling between the gap in the rocks – (emotions, something missing, something needing to be filled).
 Pool surrounded by trees, rocks, and plants – (feelings of separateness from environment, feelings of being surrounded by beauty, need for peace and tranquility).
 The string descending into the water – (looking for answers, seeking, “fishing” for something).
 The position where the bird is seated to the right and behind – (something one cannot see but know is right there, a guiding force you sense but cannot see).
 Blue and yellow colors of the bird – (the colors are representative of the element of air, something related to communication or intellect).

2:3.1. Mark sentences as objective or subjective (O or S) – I got all of the answers to this exercise correct.

2:3.2. Description of my card for the Adept level exercises – The Moon from the Fantastic Menagerie (card to be attached to this post when scanned):

LITERAL OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION:
An owl lady is standing between two stone arches. She is wearing a lilac colored, low cut top with bows where the two buttons would be down the front center of her top, where it joins in the center. The sleeves are ¾ length with white lace at the elbows. Her skirt is long and full. It is light blue with lilac designs. She wears a white lace doily on her head that gives the appearance of shoulder length hair. Her are eyes are large and her beak very small. Her eyes are gold and wide open. At the neck she wears a gold chocker with a pendant that is an upside down bird with outstretched wings. On her left wrist she wears a bracelet with a small brown mouse dangling upside down from it. On the index finger of her left hand she wears a ring.

Behind the left archway is an outer wall with a ledge like banister that frames what looks like an outer balcony. It is about the height of her hips. There is a tree branch with leaves or a vine coming down and around the outer wall towards the balcony. Propped against the wall, with its feel on the ledge and head against the wall is a two dimensional woodcutting of a man.

Through the same archway, towards the top right is the full moon. It is white, has eyes, nose, and lips. Within the moon and to the bottom left is the silhouette of a mouse standing on its hind paws, with its forepaws in front of it stretched towards the moon’s nose. Below the moon there are clouds that you can see through both archways where one cannot see the lower part of the actual night sky.

1st PERSON DESCRIPTION OF THE CARD:
I stand between two stone arches. I am wearing a lilac colored, low cut top with bows where the two buttons would be down the front center of my top, where it joins in the center. The sleeves are ¾ length with white lace at the elbows. My skirt is long and full. It is light blue with lilac designs. I wear a white lace doily on my head that gives the appearance of shoulder length hair. My eyes are large and my beak very small. My eyes are gold and wide open. At the neck I wear a gold chocker with a pendant that is an upside down bird with outstretched wings. On my left wrist I wear a bracelet with a small brown mouse dangling upside down from it. On the index finger of my left hand she wears a ring.

Behind the left archway is an outer wall with a ledge like banister that frames what looks like an outer balcony. It is about the height of her hips. There is a tree branch with leaves or a vine coming down and around the outer wall towards the balcony. Propped against the wall, with its feel on the ledge and head against the wall is a two dimensional woodcutting of a man.

Through the same archway, towards the top right is the full moon. It is white, has eyes, nose, and lips. Within the moon and to the bottom left is the silhouette of a mouse standing on its hind paws, with its forepaws in front of it stretched towards the moon’s nose. Below the moon there are clouds that you can see through both archways where one cannot see the lower part of the actual night sky.

To me, could mean, emotions in action. Both the emotions and thoughts meet causing a stir.

-The gap created with the rocks.

Perhaps acknowledges the need for silence to gather both thoughts and discern feelings.

-The sense of being surrounded.
-Sensing what is behind & to his right.

All in all this King may recognize that although he is alone, he is protected by God. Alone but not lonely as well.

-The act of holding a pole.
-String entering water.

No fear in venturing forth within himself.

But again, these are all my subjective veiw point

2:3

1)
a. There's a fish in a cup held in the right hand of person-O
b. The fish in the cup has granted the person 3 wishes-S
c. She is waiting for someone to rescue her-S
d. 10 swords stick out of the back of a person lying facedown on the ground-O
e. He holds his lantern so that other people can follow-S
f. With arms crossing her chest, she grasps 2 swords that point upward-O
g. The person pierced by swords has given up-S
h. The man in a black cloak is going to pick up the 2 cups that are still full-S
i. The person is not looking at a cup held by a hand coming out of a cloud-O

2)
If you haven't done the basic exercise of describing your chosen card, then do so now. Note how objective you really were.

Victorian Romantic 4 of Wands

There are 4 woman on a stage, one bangs away on a drum, another who's hands hang high overhead, two others in a dancing pose of some sort. The one banging the drum wears a bathing suit like outfit, a deep pink color-fusia? The lady next to her in a midnight blue dress. The remaining 2 ladies in bright blue and peach. There is also a man, appearing in the distance. Is he part of the act or the crowd?
Don't know.
A crowd watches, although I can only make out the face of a single woman. Good thing, because, it looks like they are all enjoying themselves.
It is a makeshift stage these four ladies stand on....oh yes, the bird. For some reason, I'm not noticing birds.
Not in the King of Cup exercise or here. It's very colorful, and by how it's spreading his/her wings, could be happy or bothered by the noise.
I think I was fairly objective in the description of my card, although I was ready to assume that man was part of the act. It would not have occured to me that he may not be a part of the group without doing this exercise.

I had appreciated the water as a backdrop story but had not thought of the gap in the rocks as an opening in a solid facade. She notes the pole as indicating something that might be kept as a distance -- I had seen it as a casual-but-not-critical-tool as the real purpose was not "catching" a fish but to enjoy this retreat space.

I had a very similar reaction. I had never really even thought of either of those elemets in the card. This exercise has emphasized to me the importance of everything in the card.

Step 2:2
When I saw the inset picture of the Crown on top and the king facing the cup I was thinking how this represented the supernal triangle in Qabalah. . As the crown stands for kether the cup for binah and the king is in chokmah

The king looking at the stream is a man facing his emotions

Personally I have seen many ways of dealing with the subconscious and emotions. The fishing poll is his way of extracting images and such from the other side.

The crack in the wall is when we get those A-HA moments or all of the sudden inspiration seeps through.

Step 2:3
We are to evaluate a series of statements to determine objective observation or a subjective assumption -- using "O" or "S" to record our answer. The several statements

There's a fish in a cup held in the right hand of person-O-
The fish in the cup has granted the person 3 wishes-S-
She is waiting for someone to rescue her-S-
10 swords stick out of the back of a person lying facedown on the ground-O-
He holds his lantern so that other people can follow-S-
With arms crossing her chest, she grasps 2 swords that point upward-O-
The person pierced by swords has given up-S-
The man in a black cloak is going to pick up the 2 cups that are still full-S-
The person is not looking at a cup held by a hand coming out of a cloud-O-

Describing my new card
Moon Tarot of Dreams

There is a night time sky with a full moon. There is a circler object with bats flying through it. The circler object is between 2 polls all of this is In a forest.
A wolf on the left has the mouth closed the dog on the right has the mouth open. A stream runs between them.
There is light behind the object and there are flames on top of the polls.

ps it is real hard not adding opinions to the other cards it was real hard not adding subjective thought to this moon card and still be accurate.

2.2.: Significant symbols of the King of Cups. I tried for ages to find a picture of it on the internet , but to no avail, does anybody have a link?

So these is the significant symbols i managed to see:
Waterfall: too many emotions or feelings. Being emotionally over whelmed. Great love.
The lake: A calm and ordered feelings Depth of emotion and love.
The King: Patience and wise (beard) Wealthy (good clothes)
The outdoors: freedom, in touch with nature. Appreciation of natural beauty
The fishing rod: Patience, silence, stubbornness, unpredictability, chance,

I couldn’t find the bird!

2.3. I wrote in the book (!) o and s with a pencil. I got them right 

The description of the chosen card: The Lady
2.1.1. A hilly countryside. Trees in background. An acorn tree branch hangs In one corner. A pregnant woman sits on wooden chair with high back. The woman holds a sheaf of wheat in her right arm and in her left a horn with fruit and flowers in it. She wears a green dress and a dark blue cloak. She has a headband on with 7 stars embroidered on it. On her right flows a stream, her left foot is almost touch the water. The stream flows from a waterfall that is the distant hills. In front of her sits a little statue. The statue is of a fat woman sitting on her haunches. There are flowers dotted around her. The sky is cloudy.

2.1.2.I sit on my wooden chair beside the stream. The acorn trees branches are over head. I am holding a sheaf of wheat and a horn full of fruit and flowers. In front of me sits a fertility statue. My feet are bare and my left foot is almost in the water. I look down onto the statue. I am wearing a green patterned dress. The pattern is of flowers. My dark blue cloak is held on by a broach. On the ground by my left foot lies a red shawl.

2:1 A man is sitting with his legs crossed (right leg over left) with his head turned directly to his right. The entire card is in shades of orange and yellow with touches of white. The man is wearing a gold pointy crown (5 points? 6?) with plus sign in a circle decorations engraved at the base of each point.

He is also wearing a short tunic with ¾ length sleeves. It is decorated with squares, and in the squares are bees and swirly lines with points on the ends. His legs are bare? And he’s wearing slipper sox.

In his left hand in his lap he holds a dark orange sphere with a yellow Maltese cross on top. In his right hand he holds up across his chest and next to his ear a scepter with a stylized ram’s head on top.

His chair has a kind of net design with a sun or star in circle design on the end of each arm. His carpet or tile has 2 fleur de lys on it.

At his feet to his left is a lamb lying down holding a flag over its shoulder. It has a halo. At his feet to his right is a shield decorated with a double headed and bodied eagle with a sun behind its head.

Behind his chair on either side of him are the heads of two rams with large curly horns. Behind them we can see about ¼ of the sun behind the king’s profile. It looks like flames are surrounding the rams. It looks like a stream of white light is coming from the upper right corner of the card to behind the king’s left shoulder.

In first person: I am sitting on my orange throne wearing my crown and holding my scepter and orb. My shield and lamb are at my feet. My rams are behind me. The sun is over my right shoulder. I look sharply to the right.

2:2 Going by the description of the Fisher King:
A waterfall and pool could mean cleanliness and refreshment.
What is he fishing for?
Could the bird be a messenger? Is it tweeting?
I wonder if we could figure out the specific trees and plants in the picture. Maybe the species have significance.
We could also look for significance in the shape of the rocks.

2:3 I got all the objective or subjective questions right.

I tried not to say there were flames in my card, even though I KNOW they are flames!
I assumed halo and sun, even though they are both just plain circles behind heads.
I assumed my guy is a king!
In the first person description, I assumed all the items in the card are “mine.” (I assumed the floor and the chair are his in the first description, too!) I also assumed he is looking at or for something.

I don’t think I had seen the sun in the background of this card before, what with all the flames and such!

using the Druidcraft Tarot
2:2
I didn't have another person to watch.
But, symbols in the Wheel of Fortune card to explore:
the cave, sky, being within a circle, spirals, 8-spoke wheel, water in the distance, stones, sand, one lone plant.

Waterfall- In this scene, I see it as divine grace coming to earth filling the gaps in between our realty, while creating a sacred pool of unlimited grace.

This pastoral setting is the King’s “temple” where he comes to refresh his spirit. Fishing is the medium (meditation/prayer).

The Bluebird is a messenger from God bringing tranquility to this space.

After I wrote this about the King of cups I read the book, Mary’s suggestions and your posts on this card. My take is different but I’m comfortable with it as I was not responding to a querent, it was purely subjective.

I found all of the postings and Mary’s responses to be very helpful and an indicator that I must look at the card from many perspectives and at all times consider the querent. I took this to be a subjective description since we are discussing Subjectivity and Objectivity.

I’m very interested to hear your opinion/critique

2-3 I got all of them correct.

My new Card RWS The Moon

Description:

There is a bright full moon with a face (man in the moon) situated between 2 towers. There are 15 yods falling toward the ground.

A path leads from a pond through the towers and over the mountains. There is a brown dog and a yellow wolf standing on the grass on either side of the path howling at the moon.

The grass grows from the edge of the pond up to the towers; beyond the towers, the land is barren and rocky. Along the edge of the pond where the grass and the water meets, there is a line of dark green leafy plants and 6 small stones. Deep ripples disturb the surface of the pond.

Emerging from the pond crawling onto the path is a crustacean (lobster?) The sky is pitched dark except for the illumination of the moon.

In the far distance, behind the mountains there is a very thin line of light.

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